The small territory of Hong Kong -- recently returned to
China -- has become
the focus of international scrutiny as the world waits to see what will
become of the
former colony's British-built democracy. Over the years, questions and
speculations
regarding Hong Kong -- its culture, its lifestyle, and its
future -- have
intensified as the date of its handover has approached. In three articles,
spanning
more than thirty-five years, Atlantic Monthly reporters trace Hong Kong's
evolution from exotic, provincial haven to global business dynamo.
In the
process, Hong Kong's changing attitude toward reunification can
be observed,
as the complacency and confidence of a city on the rise give way to caution
and
consternation about an uncertain future.

An "Atlantic Report" from June, 1957, offers a glimpse of a
Hong Kong
still in the early stages of its emergence as an economic powerhouse. Described
as a "tourist's paradise," it is a place still untouched by the complexities of
world politics -- Communists and capitalists mingle at parties, and
the potential catastrophe of enforced unification with the People's Republic is still
viewed as an event in the "vague future." The article details a youthful Hong
Kong: uncomplicated, self-assured, and rapidly growing.

A decade later things are not so simple. Maynard Parker's "Report on Hong Kong" from November, 1967, describes a colony afflicted by doubts and riots, spurred on by Mao's Cultural Revolution. Though British rule during those trying days was remarkably calm and steady, Parker portrays a city irrevocably shaken from its satisfied, business-like demeanor. With its return to China still
thirty years away, Hong Kong nevertheless finds itself in an uncomfortable
position, confronting questions about its identity and destiny. Parker's
article ends on a note of concern: he expresses doubts about a revival of the
economic boom and a return to stability and fears about a potential exodus.

In "A Culture of Emigration" (April, 1991), Cait Murphy picks up
where Maynard Parker left off and focuses on the growing unease among Chinese Hong Kong
citizens about the impending Chinese rule. Two years removed from
the events of Tiananmen Square, what already was a cautious stance toward
reunification has intensified into outright pessimism. Life as they know it,
the citizens of Hong Kong seem convinced, will not continue unchanged under
Communist China. The "brain drain" that was hinted at in Parker's article has
become a reality in early 1990s Hong Kong. Whether it will continue, and what
effect it will have on Hong Kong's future, remains to be seen.